Bumgarner gets mad at misfires, then shuts down Cardinals

Updated 12:27 am, Friday, October 17, 2014

Giants Madison Bumgarner walks back to the dugout after the sixth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Giants Madison Bumgarner walks back to the dugout after the sixth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

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Giants Madison Bumgarner is seen after the Giants defeated the Cardinals 6 to 3 during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Giants Madison Bumgarner is seen after the Giants defeated the Cardinals 6 to 3 during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner chats with catcher Buster Posey on the mound during the eighth inning of Game 5 of the National League baseball championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) less

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner chats with catcher Buster Posey on the mound during the eighth inning of Game 5 of the National League baseball championship series against the St. Louis ... more

Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press

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Giants Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey talk on the way out to the mound in the eighth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Giants Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey talk on the way out to the mound in the eighth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner looks away as the Cardinals Matt Adams rounds the bases on a solo home run in the fourth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif. less

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner looks away as the Cardinals Matt Adams rounds the bases on a solo home run in the fourth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San ... more

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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Giants Pitcher Madison Bumgarner gets a new ball after giving up a home run to the Cardinals Matt Adams in the fourth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif. less

Giants Pitcher Madison Bumgarner gets a new ball after giving up a home run to the Cardinals Matt Adams in the fourth inning during Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San ... more

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner warms up prior to Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner warms up prior to Game 5 of the NLCS at AT&T Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 16: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants holds up the NLCS MVP award after the Giants defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 during Game Five of the National League Championship Series at AT&T Park on October 16, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) less

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 16: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants holds up the NLCS MVP award after the Giants defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 during Game Five of the National League ... more

Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Bumgarner gets mad at misfires, then shuts down Cardinals

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Madison Bumgarner was not perfect Thursday. Far from it. The Cardinals made him look mortal, puncturing his postseason aura with three runs before the fourth inning ended.

That also made Bumgarner mad.

Right then, with the crowd at China Basin suddenly silent and the Cardinals sniffing fresh life, Bumgarner gathered himself and gave the Giants a chance to win another National League pennant. He retired the last 13 batters he faced in Game 5, after Tony Cruz’s solo homer pushed St. Louis ahead 3-2 in the fourth.

This stretch of redundancy, one Cardinals hitter after another trudging back to the dugout in frustration, lacked the drama of the booming home runs by Michael Morse and Travis Ishikawa. But it had plenty to do with the Giants winning 6-3 to cement their third World Series berth in five years, and it helped explain why Bumgarner was named most valuable player of this NLCS.

“Bum is as calm as it gets,” reliever Jeremy Affeldt said. “We have full confidence in him. We trust him. He’s an ace in every way, shape and form. He deserves the MVP in this series.”

Bumgarner set the tone Saturday night in St. Louis, where he tossed 72/3 shutout innings to usher the Giants to victory in Game 1. Then, on Thursday, he stepped atop the mound with a stadium full of orange-clad zealots thirsty for a series-clinching victory.

The Cardinals made good contact in the early innings, which is usually the time to get Bumgarner. They took the lead when Ishikawa misjudged Jon Jay’s slicing line drive in the third, then retook the lead when Matt Adams and Cruz connected for solo homers in the fourth.

This is where Bumgarner’s ferocity came into play. He’s a big, competitive country boy from North Carolina, and the sight of those homers sailing over the wall ticked him off.

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“I had to try and lock in a little better after that,” Bumgarner said. “You don’t want to give the lead back like that.”

His final line: eight innings, five hits, three runs. Bumgarner is 2-1 in four starts this postseason, with a tidy 1.42 ERA.

Asked about his history of October success, he said, “You can’t let the moment get to you. You’ve got to push the nerves and excitement aside. It’s less fun that way, but that’s how you play better baseball.”

Affeldt offered a vital assist in the ninth, after the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs against Santiago Casilla. Affeldt retired Oscar Taveras on a comebacker, fielding the ball and sprinting to first base himself.

“When the ball hit my glove, my adrenaline spiked,” Affeldt said. “I tried to run to the base as fast as I could. I was out of breath.”

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